Arenado Hits 2 Hrs To Back Anderson, Rockies Pound Cubs 11-2

Colorado Rockies’ Nolan Arenado hits a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Wednesday, May 2, 2018, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

By ANDREW SELIGMAN, AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — Nolan Arenado got the rout started when he lined a fastball off the roof of a club room beyond the shrubs in center field. From there, the Rockies kept the long drives coming.

Arenado hit two of Colorado’s season-high four homers and drove in five runs to back Tyler Anderson in an 11-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.

The Rockies hit seven home runs over the past two games at Wrigley Field, including three for Arenado.

The three-time All-Star belted two long drives in this one, starting with a two-run shot off Yu Darvish in the first. Arenado connected again in the eighth, nailing a three-run homer to left against Luke Farrell that bounced into the street.

Trevor Story added a long homer to left leading off the fifth, and Chris Iannetta chased Darvish one out later with a solo drive that made it 6-1.

“We have a lot of power, one through nine, really,” Arenado said. “Good guys that can drive the ball out of the ballpark and I think that’s what we’ve always had here, obviously. It’s good to hit the ball out of the ballpark but we still have to have the kind of at-bats we had today.”

Anderson (2-0) went seven innings in his longest start of the season after leaving his previous outing because he was feeling light-headed. The left-hander struck out a season-high nine while allowing two runs and three hits.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish, of Japan, reacts after Colorado Rockies’ Nolan Arenado hit a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 2, 2018, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Anthony Rizzo homered in the fourth and Kris Bryant went deep in the sixth , but that was it for Chicago. The Cubs finished with four hits in their eighth consecutive game with three or fewer runs.

Rizzo’s drive was his second in as many days. He connected from the fourth spot in the order after hitting his fourth career leadoff homer on Tuesday. But the Cubs dropped their second straight following a season-high five-game win streak.

Darvish (0-3) got tagged for six runs — five earned — and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings by a team that began the day with the majors’ lowest batting average. Coming off a dominant start against Milwaukee, the right-hander exited to boos this time around.

The latest shaky outing left his ERA through six starts at 6.00 — not what the Cubs envisioned when they signed him to a $126 million contract in the offseason.

Colorado Rockies’ Trevor Story celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Wednesday, May 2, 2018, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

DRINK UP

The Rockies sent rookie outfielder Noel Cuevas — in full uniform and pushing a cart — on a coffee run prior to the game. He returned with about 20 cups from Starbucks.

The caffeine boost seemed to fuel Colorado.

TAKING THE FIFTH

Darvish failed to make it out of the fifth inning for the fourth time this season.

The home runs by Story on the first pitch and Iannetta gave the right-hander 14 earned runs and a 31.50 ERA in the inning.

“I was throwing the ball high up in the zone where they would usually foul it off, but like Iannetta, he hit it pretty well,” Darvish said through an interpreter. “I think they were just hitting the ball in the higher zone well in general today.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: The Rockies plan to activate LHP Chris Rusin (strained right intercostal) from the 10-day disabled list Friday, when they open a three-game series at the New York Mets. Rusin has a 4.97 ERA in eight relief appearance after going 5-1 with a 2.65 ERA in 60 games last year. “All signs are good,” manager Bud Black said.

Cubs: Maddon said RHP Eddie Butler (strained right groin) is “doing really well” and the Cubs will “start mapping out a program (for his return).” Butler was eligible to come off the DL on Monday but remains sidelined.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP German Marquez (1-3, 5.14 ERA) tries to shake off back-to-back losses as the Rockies open a weekend series against RHP Zack Wheeler (2-1, 4.09 ERA) and the Mets in New York on Friday.

Cubs: Chicago opens a three-game series Friday at St. Louis, with LHP Jose Quintana (3-1, 5.74 ERA) pitching for the Cubs and RHP Miles Mikolas (3-0, 3.27 ERA) starting for the Cardinals.